Jun 27, 2008

Eccentric New Yorkers

Would you like to meet some of New York City’s eccentrics? A list of the city’s top 50 has been compiled by Gawker. Here are some of the people listed I come across a few times a year:

Thoth-I went to a birthday party once where Thoth was the featured entertainment. He speaks a made up language, which perhaps only the creators of Cirque du Soleil would understand. I’ll let his act speak for itself, which you can catch on this youtube video. In Central Park he typically performs near Bethesda Terrace.

I’ve written about Oscar Gomez, who is pictured.

Elegant Elliot Offen-I’ve seen him in my neighborhood several times. He is usually sporting fishnets as he jogs up Second Avenue. Here he is documented on youtube.

New York and other big cities certainly do not have a monopoly on eccentrics. Most small villages and towns around the world have their fair share. Do you have eccentrics where you live?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

How I miss New York and its eccentrics!

There was a man in Zagreb, Croatia, where I grew up, that everyone called Socrates. He walked around in rags, coming up to people with strange stories, and was really into bizarre little inventions that made no apparent sense. I remember being very intrigued every time I saw him.

Phivos Nicolaides said...

Wendy, this is beautiful.

Wendy said...

Hi Anja,
Socrates sounds intriguing. It would be interesting to find out what makes some of these people tick.

Hi Philip,
Thank you.

GMG said...

Hi Wendy! Back to blogosphere after another busy (and annoying) week… Fortunately there are some excellent blogs to make things much more interesting...
Three great posts: The excentrics (amazing everywhere, but in particular in NYC); the incredible Japanese vending machines and the Street Barber in Varanasi. Excellent shots!
thanks for your comments at Blogtrotter

Lakshmi said...

wow ..this is great fun..There are several eccentric people in india starting with politicians to actors :)they constantly entertain us

Wendy said...

Hi Gil,
glad you stopped by and I hope next week is less hectic.
Hi Lakshmi-Too funny. I wish our politicians were clever enough to be eccentric!

Anonymous said...

Right now I live in a quite small town in the middle of Sweden and we barely have any eccentric people here. I miss New York!

Wendy said...

Hi Erica,
They were out in full force yesterday. There was a man in central Park dressed like a wizard with pointy hat, robe and long beard and carrying a scepter. He did not appear to be there for the benefit of tourists. Not far from him was Thoth.